Export Finance Resources in Washington State

The Seattle U.S. Export Assistance Center is part of an international network consisting of 105 U.S. Export Assistance Centers across the country and 165 offices in 82 countries. Our domestic and international offices are directly linked through a worldwide communications and information network which offers a unique and valuable service to U.S. exporters. To better serve our clients, we work closely with the following trade finance partners.

Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses.

The mission of SBA's Office of International Trade is to enhance the ability of small businesses to compete in the global marketplace; facilitate access to capital to support international trade; ensure that the interests of small business are considered and reflected in trade negotiations; and support and contribute to the U.S. Government's international agenda.

Export Import Bank of the United States

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is the official export-credit agency of the United States. Ex-Im Bank is an independent, self-sustaining executive agency and a wholly-owned U.S. government corporation.

The Bank’s mission is to support jobs in the United States by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services. The Bank provides competitive export financing and ensures a level playing field for U.S. exports in the global marketplace.

Ex-Im Bank provides working capital guarantees (pre-export financing); export credit insurance; and loan guarantees and direct loans (buyer financing). Click here to learn about Ex-Im programs. No transaction is too large or too small. More than 85 percent of Ex-Im Bank’s transactions in recent years have been made available for the direct benefit of U.S. small businesses .

Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington

The Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington (EFACW) was created by the Washington State legislature in 1983 to provide export finance counseling assistance to small- and medium-sized exporters or prospective Washington-based exporters.

EFACW provides ongoing consulting services on every aspect of Export Finance for Washington State exporters including helping to negotiate the contract with your Buyer, payment terms, structuring the transaction and dealing with foreign exchange issues.